


Inquisition Oneshots

by Harpokrates



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 11:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11966013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harpokrates/pseuds/Harpokrates
Summary: A place to dump the dumb Inquisition things I write.





	1. Male Addar vs. Cullen

"Are you mad!" Cullen slammed his hands down on the war table as Kaaras walked into the room. "What the hell are you—what are they doing here?"

Kaaras stepped forwards. Vivienne, Solas, and the Tevinter mage flanked him. The former Head Enchanter Fionna had declined their invitation, and had sent a young mage with a modicum of political experience in her place. The girl was nervous, and huddled behind him, while trying to look like she wasn't hiding.

"They're mages," Kaaras said before Vivienne could start telling Cullen he was right, "and you have a habit of ignoring what mages want."

It had taken a few favors with some old friends, but the Valo-Kas had the advantage of being nearly seven foot, on average, as a whole, and having the most ruthless, kniving tal-vashoth in existence as their leader. What Shokrakar wanted, she got. Kaaras eventually received a dossier on former Knight Captain Cullen Rutherford. It told an unpleasant story, and one that Kaaras was sure Cullen didn't like people knowing.

But, fair was fair, and Kaaras had found his own dossier in Cullen's private files when he had decided to break into the human's room on a whim. As tempting as it was to correct it and scribble in some personal commentary, that would have inevitably spawned some boring sit down and talk with Cullen, where he got lectured at about respecting people and their things from a human who could barely stand to look at him.

It wasn't worth it.

"What you have done is madness!" Cullen got back to shouting. "Do you have any idea what they'll do, now that they're loose? Do you have any idea what a precarious position you've put us in by allying with those blood mages!"

"We aren't blood mages!" The mage's diplomat stuttered. Kaaras imagined it should have been a shout, but the waif was too nervous.

"There," Kaaras gestured to her, "they aren't blood mages. Problem solved."

"You speak as if enslavement is the better option." Solas interjected. Kaaras couldn't stand him on a personal level, but he was full of himself enough to counter Cullen's own bloated ego.

"Not enslavement, control. Lady Vivienne," Cullen turned to Vivienne, "you know as well as I that mages need to be controlled. They're too dangerous otherwise."

Vivienne crossed her arms delicately over her chest. "I approve of the circles, yes, but I admit to some concern about the radical nature of your suggestion. Surely rehabilitation is an option for the rebels? We've had success with it in the past."

"You want to rehabilitate blood mages?" Cullen scoffed. "I assume that's why you brought the Tevinter?"

"I've got no part in this," the Tevinter raised his hands defensively, "and you already know my position on mages' rights."

"Look," Kaaras stepped up to the war table and casually picked a token representing a Templar unit, "I don't care how much people trust the Templars, I'm not starting my damn religious order by codifying mage slavery."

"Oh, and you say that with a Tevinter at your back? Do you want to codifying elf slavery, then?"

Solas bristled. "Don't use my people's tragedy as an argument."

Solas wasn't used to disagreement, Kaaras could tell. He was the sort who, when faced with an argument, would rather wander off into the woods, than stay and bicker. The Tevinter didn't say anything, but his guilty expression poke for him.

"Cullen," Cassandra spoke up, laying a hand on Cullen's arm, "the Inquisitor had made his decision. We must respect that."

"Like he's respecting the people were fighting for? What happens when one of them is killed for some blood magic rite? What happens when they kill a child? Are you prepared for that? It rest on your shoulders."

"Don't be hypocritical, Cullen." Kaaras planted his hands on the war table and leaned close, pitching his voice low. "After all, there were children in Kinloch Hold."

"Who were killed by blood mages." Cullen hissed.

"Were they?" Kaaras leaned back. "What would happen if I asked Solas here to take a stroll through your dreams? What would he see? Would he see Eathln?"

Cullen's face went white, but he remained remarkable stone-like and he didn't start stuttering.

Josephine stepped forwards, nervous about getting in between two heavily armed and angry men. "Commander, Inquisitor, please. What's done is done. We have other things to discuss regarding the mages. Housing, for example, among other things of a logistical nature."

"(Leader of mages) has the numbers on record." The mage diplomat stepped forwards. "We have fifteen adults, twelve elderly, and fifty children."

The Tevinter boggled. "Fifty mage children? In one circle? That's preposterous. No wonder so few of them survive their trials."

"One might think it was intentional." Solas spoke up. He seemed angry, but Kaaras knew that magic children were precious to elves.

Even Vivienne looked concerned. "Those are distorted numbers. Did your instructors die during the rebellion?"

The diplomat checked her paper. "One of the elderly, Miss Trevge, died from pneumonia, and five children died from exposure. There were no deaths directly attributed to the fighting."

"How abnormal. In Orlais, we strive for a one to one ratio of students to instructors. Of course, there are exceptions, but nothing so extreme as that."

"Enough!" Cullen shouted. He was still angry, but this wasn't the fuming rage from before. He was old now, calculating. "Inquisitor, this needs to be a private meeting between yourself and the advisors. Leave." 

The last part of his statement was addressed to the mages, which was fine. Kaaras only needed them long enough to plant a seed of doubt about Cullen and the Templars' intentions. He had succeeded, judging by the way Vivienne was calling a courier over to her as she left the room. The mage diplomat looked back, worried, but Solas caught her by the elbow and shook his head. Kaaras was too far to catch his words or read his lips, but from what he knew of Solas, it was probably something like 'don't worry, he's a great qunari brute; come with me and we can discuss my magical superiority over nasty grass tea'.

He didn't know Solas too well.

The doors slammed shut.

"Can't let the mages talk on their own behalf, I imagine. After all," Kaaras tipped his head and let his gaze slide to Cullen, "they aren't people like you or me."

"You self important ass." Cullen said, all pretense of tolerance dropped. "You're a fucking quinari. You'd do worse to them."

"One of these days," Kaaras shifted, "I'm going to have to explain the vast difference between a tal-vashoth and a quinari. One of these days, I'm going to have to take you to meet my mage sister. One of these days," he stepped forwards and loomed over Cullen, "I'm going to have to beat you bloody."

"Try it." Cullen hissed.

Kaaras did.

He caught Cullen with an open handed slap, that sounded much more impressive than it actually was. Still, he was big, and Cullen twisted back before he recovered himself and threw a punch aimed for Kaaras' neck. Kaaras gagged when the blow hit and shoved Cullen away, throwing him onto the war table.

"Bastard," he swore lowly, heaving.

Cullen kicked him in the hip, obviously aiming for the groin and launched himself off the table. He was too self disciplined to tackle Kaaras and turn this into more of a bar fight than it already was, so he aimed for Kaaras' knees instead. 

Kaaras stepped back before the blow could hit, and punched Cullen across the face again, taking advantage of his overswing.

"Inquisitor!" Cassandra shouted. She and Josephine were at the far end of the room, barricaded behind some of the chairs. As as Cassandra was, she wasn't stupid enough to get in the middle of a fight between them. "Cullen!"

Cullen reached up, catching Kaaras' chin with his knuckles. Kaaras staggered back, swatting his hand at Cullen, trying to catch the collar of his shirt.

"Hold it, boss," a pair of arms caught him under the armpits and yanked him back into a broad chest. Cassandra took the moment's pause to pull Cullen into a full-nelson.

For a second, there was only the sound of Cullen and him trying to catch their breaths.

Then: "Damn, boss, you hit hard." The Iron Bull pulled him back a bit, letting him get his footing. "Your head cooled now?"

Kaaras thrashed his arm. "Let go of me."

"Ah, not yet. You got him, Cassandra?"

"Yes," Cassandra nodded.

Kaaras' let the battle fervor drain from his mind and looked around. The war room doors were open, and the diplomat and the Tevinter were peering in the room. The rest of Bull's Charger were there too, presumably to keep the growing crowd of witnesses from getting a look at the Inquisitor himself get into a brawl with the Commander. Cullen looked like shit, but Kaaras supposed he probably looked similar.

"Well, this is a shitshow," Bull said broadly, leading Kaaras into a little walk around the war room. Aaras had no choice but to stagger in front of him. "I gotta say, boss, the way you run things, I like your style."

"Don't fuckin' insult me," Kaaras panted.

"What, I could say that you remind of myself when I was young, but I've never been such a hot head. You good?"

"Yeah."

Bull let him go, and Kaaras stood up, rubbing his knuckles. He turned, regarded Bull, then slammed his forehead into Bull's. The Chargers surged forwards.

"Calm down, guys." Bull waved a hand. "It's a tal-vashoth thing. We're good?"

"Sure. Keep quiet."

"I'm a regular secret keeper, boss," Bull mimed zipping his lips, then gestured for the Chargers to disperse. He grabbed the diplomat and the Tevinter and gently pulled them away too. The door slammed shut.

"The mages stay." He croaked. In the smoldering ruins of his reputation, the thought occurred that perhaps it was unwise to beat the shit out of one of his advisors. "End of discussion."

But damn had it felt righteous.


	2. Cassandra/Female Inquisitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silly poetry. Credit goes to Sappho.

"What are you doing?"

Cassandra's amused voice came from directly over her left ear. Ardas jolted, flinching and slamming her palm over the paper on her desk, fingers spread wide.

"What?" Her voice was high. "What am I doing what? I'm doing nothing, actually. Not a thing." She paused. "What are you doing?"

"Clearly, I am interrogating you," Cassandra replied dryly, arching a thin eyebrow, "judging by your reaction."

"What reaction? This is normal; I'm always like this."

"And you've spent hours in the sun, judging by your ears." Cassandra brought up her hand and gently traced the outer curve of Ardas' left ear. She tried not to shudder, but a pleasant chill ran down her spine regardless.

"Clearly."

"Is it truly something so secret? I won't pry if you don't want me to."

"Yes, but you might badger Leliana about it if you think it's official Inquisition business." Ardas grinned widely.

"I… might. Is it official Inquisition business?"

"Well, I've written it on official Inquisition paper." Ardas felt her flush creep down from her ears and stain her cheeks pink. "Do you really want to know?"

"Do you want me to know?"

"Ah, yes? It's just, well, it's a little embarrassing. Promise you won't make fun?"

"Of course." Cassandra's eyes softened and she pressed her curled fist to her chest.

Ardas bit the inside of her mouth, and moved her hand aside. Cassandra leaned down.

"Is that," she tilted her head, "is that me?"

It wasn't a very skilled portrayal. Ardas had slept through her art lessons as a child, in a bid to convince her tutor to let her go and practice her swordplay. So, it was a rough sketch. She hadn't managed to capture the harsh angles of Cassandra's face, softened by the warm morning sun. 

"The last time you spent the night, I was… inspired. You just looked so peaceful. But I wasn't working on this when you came in, I was actually, ah, writing."

"Writing?" Cassandra's voice was odd, tense, in the sort of way that meant she was trying to hide a quiver.

Ardas flushed. "I've been practicing my hand at poetry. You know, a sort of uh, hobby thing. Romantic stuff. It's very rough. Really, it's not very good." 

"Let me see."

She moved so Cassandra could read it. Cassandra scanned the page, her sharp cheeks reddening. Her eyes went a little wet. 

"I cannot read your handwriting." Cassandra said. It was a white lie, and they both knew it. She met Ardas' eyes, the soft heat in her gaze burning like the curl of a flame.

"I'll just… read it to you then." Ardas cleared her throat and opened her mouth. It took a few false starts, but she eventually forced the words out.

"The um, the sweet murmur of  
your voice, the enticing 

laughter that makes my own  
heart beat... fast. If I meet  
you suddenly, I can't

speak, like," she broke off with an awkward laugh, "like now, I suppose. I," she trailed off, the coughed and resumed reading. 

"My tongue is broken;  
a thin flame runs under  
my skin; seeing nothing, 

hearing only my own ears  
drumming, I drip with sweat;  
trembling shakes my body 

and I turn paler than  
dry grass. At such times  
death isn't far from me."

Ardas scanned the page of her scribbles, looking desperately for something else to string together into something sensical.

"You burn me. 

Without warning  
as a whirlwind  
swoops on an oak  
Love shakes my heart."

Her voice dwindled shakily.

"Ah, that's it. Like I said, not the best. I feel a bit silly for it, but, you. Er, you, you inspire me to foolishness, Cassandra."

She caught the other woman's eyes.

"Is that so terrible?"

The Seeker swallowed thickly. She reached up and silently caught Ardas' cheek in her calloused hand, running her thumb across her blush.

"Such a way with words, for one who neglects to use them so often."

"They aren't wasted on you."

Cassandra leaned in and kissed her. After a long while, they separated. Ardas' eyes flickered up to meet hers.

"You say such things," Cassandra mused, "I cannot bear you."

Ardas quirked an eyebrow. "Do you want me to stop?"

"Don't say such nonsense."

"Then shall we kiss again?"

Cassandra didn't answer her with words. As lovely as they were, sometimes one didn't need them.


End file.
